Lawmakers will consider proposals to establish a special parliamentary committee to implement electoral reform and another to oversee the country’s administrative and territorial reform.

Prosecutor General Olsian Çela will open the session by presenting the 2024 crime report. He will be followed by Altin Dumani, head of the Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), who will outline SPAK’s activities over the past year.

High Justice Inspector Artur Metani will present his institution’s 2024 report, while Ilir Rusi, chairman of the High Judicial Council, will brief lawmakers on the state of the judicial system and the council’s performance. Mirela Bogdani, head of the High Prosecutorial Council, will also report on her institution’s annual activities.

Each presentation will be followed by 150 minutes of debate, divided proportionally among parliamentary groups. Parliament is also expected to adopt resolutions accompanying each report.

Opposition Democratic Party group leader Gazment Bardhi has called on Speaker Niko Peleshi to avoid procedural clashes and ensure equal debate time during the session.

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Speaking at his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Berisha accused the country’s justice institutions of being among the most corrupt in Europe.

The opposition leader thanked DP lawmakers for their participation, describing the sessions as an opportunity to scrutinize what he called the “failed institutions” of Albania’s judicial reform.

He criticized the majority MPs and judicial officials, calling their appearances “miserable.”

“You saw how the wrongdoers, all implicated in various scandals, stood timidly before the heads of justice institutions – institutions that have proven themselves to be fierce enemies of political pluralism in Albania, among the most corrupt in Europe, and complicit in crimes,” Berisha stated.

Turning to foreign policy, Berisha condemned Albania’s silence on the recently announced Gaza peace deal, noting that the country has long recognized both Israel and the State of Palestine.

“Albania is a NATO member and has strong friendly ties with Israel, but also with the State of Palestine, which we have long recognized and where accredited ambassadors have always been present,” he said.

Berisha also welcomed the recent local elections held in Kosovo, calling them a message of democratic commitment. “The message of free elections in Kosovo is a call to action for us,” he said.

The meeting coincided with Berisha’s 81st birthday, which was marked by members of the Democratic Party parliamentary group presenting him with two blue floral bouquets.

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Speaking at the ruling Socialist Party’s National Assembly meeting, the government head stressed that even institutions like Special Anticorruption Prosecution Structure (SPAK), and the Special Court, pillars of the country’s justice reform, have shown worrying signs such as violating presumption of innocence, undue intimidation, and misuse of power.

Rama warned against reversing the progress toward judicial independence, emphasizing the need for strategic patience and support to allow these young institutions to mature, despite their current flaws.

He called for enduring the difficult transition and avoiding politicization or attacks on the justice system, stating that premature interference would undermine Albania’s European integration goals and damage the dream of a truly independent, fair judiciary.

The Premier urged his party and the public to give justice bodies the necessary time and space to heal inherited “diseases,” acknowledging the human cost involved but insisting it is essential for building a democratic future.

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Speech of EU Ambassador Luigi Soreca during EURALIUS V 7th Stakeholders Steering Committee

“EURALIUS – alongside PAMECA – has been one of the most important cooperation projects in the field of rule of law in Albania. For the EU, it has been the largest project – in terms of both budget and scope – in the field of justice. It is so for a good reason.

The project started at the same time as the implementation of the justice reform and was meant to support all needs of all the new institutions created by the reform. A huge challenge, which the team has taken on with courage and professionalism. The project has brought together the best EU expertise and top local expertise and as we speak, the ‘Euralius model’ is being replicated in Bosnia & Hercegovina, North Macedonia and Kosovo.

Euralius is now entering the last months of its implementation (ending in December 2021), but it remains to be a key supporter in a number of key priorities of the justice reform.

First, the work on the efficiency of the judiciary, directly supporting the High Court and other courts, is in my view the priority of priorities. Focusing on delivering on the basic expectation of the citizens: efficiently delivering justice.

Second, the continued peer-to-peer support for the High Judicial Council, the High Prosecutorial Council and the High Justice Inspector. This support continues on daily basis, including work on by-laws, regulations and working materials. Support which is fundamentally important for securing some of the greatest gains of the justice reform – the independence and integrity of the justice system.

Third, the support to SPAK. Although not the primary focus of EURALIUS (due to the expertise provided by PAMECA, the NBI international commission, and the new EU project focused on financial investigation, EUR 5.5 million), EURALIUS has stood by the side of SPAK in building their capacity to deliver on what is probably the most visible – certainly recently – achievement of the reform: showing that nobody is above the law, bringing corrupt officials and magistrates to justice and confiscating assets of organised crime groups. We are all aware here that more is needed, but we are seeing the fruits of the reform and of the EU support.

My second remark concerns the confirmation that Justice Reform remains one of the top priorities for the EU in Albania. The EU investment in the sector speaks lauder than words in this regards. Over 50 million EUR, in the form of direct budget support, grant and other forms of assistance so far. And while Euralius V will end in December, we are already making sure not to leave any gap in the EU support.

Euralius – a broad-spectrum broad-mandate project – has done its job in helping you take the justice reform off the ground. Now – when all of you are already sitting firmly around this table, with your varied mandates and challenges – now is the time for a next generation of EU-funded support projects, responding in a tailor-made fashion to your particular needs. Between now and the end of the next year, we will see a new project dedicated to the support of the Ministry of Justice in its coordinating and reporting role, continuation of support to the High Judicial Council and High Justice Inspector, new dedicated team helping the High Prosecutorial Council, the General Prosecutor and SPAK, as well as a dedicated peer-to-peer programme for the School of Magistrates. (Total budget of the new projects in the pipeline is EUR 9 million).

EU will not stop or pause support to the justice system and justice institutions.

My third remark is about your role: It is precisely in this moment in time where two key skills are required from the judicial institutions and the Ministry: leadership and competence. By leadership I mean coordination, cooperation and ability to reach an agreement. Competence from my perspective is the ability and drive to apply the highest EU standards possible.

EURALIUS – and any future cooperation project – are only tools in your hands. They are there to assist you, they are not a solution to your problems.

What really matters is that you show the leadership and competence to choose the right advice at the right time. Therefore, I truly hope, at any point in time, you will make use of it constructively, with a solution and cooperation minded attitude, for the success of the justice reform,” the EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca said.

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